go cats!

Today we received our first article of baby clothing. Appropriately UK blue, we think our little one will love it instantaneously!! Naturally, Michael quickly tried it on and decided the fit will be very good. Thanks P&T!!!

We're in Dar now, we've thawed out and this weekend we'll be picking up a large gaggle of students from the States who are coming to Africa for a semester overseas of various works. Should be a great couple of weeks as we train, hang out, share experiences, and then send these students out to go and make a difference!

Swahili word for the day is chuo kikuu, which means university.

Baby says hi

While in Nairobi we had the joy of running in circles to see some doctors, and then had the REAL JOY of seeing our baby for the first time. He/she even perked up to wave and say hi when we peeked in. Take a look at our little jumper!


Swahili word for the day is mkono, which means 'hand'.

Here's some irony:

We're currently in Nairobi, Kenya. That places us closer to the equator and closer to the sun than we've ever been outside of a pressurized climate-controlled plane. And yet, we're freeeeeeezing. Here we are huddled in front of a fireplace wearing 2 layers of pants and 4 layers of shirts/jackets each.

We've been in Nairobi meeting with many more people in our organization from Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, and DRC. It's been a great time of renewal, encouragement, and challenge, but we're ready to go home and warm up in Morogoro!!

Here's a few pictures from our drive up. Maybe on the way back if we get lucky and the clouds part we'll get a photo of Mt Kilimanjaro.

Swahili word for the day is baridi, which means cold.

Up in the Woods

I (M) had the chance to get up into some indigenous forest near the top of the Uluguru Mountains this week together with some friends and spend time in prayer for the Luguru people of the Morogoro region. The people here are farmers, in the mountains. It truly is amazing, how many people are able to make producing fields for crops on 60 degree inclines in seemingly unreachable places. We are veeeeery blessed to have many of the freshest crops in all of Tanzania right at our doorstep. Being up in the forest/jungle really pulled at my heart though. It's sad to see all of that chopped down in order to farm, and yet I still do love the fresh onions, peppers, tomatoes, pineapples, mangoes, and much more. At least there's not high rise apartments and mountain resorts

In addition to a great time of prayer and reflection, sleeping without the neighboring chickens, cows, and dogs was quite peaceful. Nothing to listen to but a gentle waterfall all night.

Dangerous, half-eroded mountain roads: the perfect place to pack 30 people into a van (dalla-dalla, public transport) and drive as fast at the wheels will turn!

Swahili for "to climb a mountain" is kupanda mlima.